Amazing Words! Faith brings light into darkness

Amazing Words!
It must have been the darkest time of their lives.  For several days their brother's health had worsened.  There was no hospital to which he could go.  In desperation they had sent a message to their friend to get here as soon as he could.  He, they knew, had extraordinary powers and could heal the sick.  He would be sure to come when he got the message.  What they were not to know when the message was sent that it would be too late.  Their friend could never have got there in time.

Now it felt as if their hearts had been torn out.  Friends uttered kind words and offered sympathy, but nothing could chase away the darkness that had descended on their lives as they laid their brothers remains to rest in the garden tomb.  But now word had reached them that he had come. He was here, and people were saying that if only he had been here, their brother would have been alive.  It was Martha who went out to meet him, unable to rest at home with her weeping sister, and needing to see his face, to hear him speak, even to just know that he was with them in this dreadful darkness.

She found herself echoing what others were saying, and what she knew wee;  "If you had been here my brother would not have died..."  There was no recrimination in those words.  She knew that if it had been possible, he would have been there.  Then came those absolutely amazing words from her lips.  "But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask."

"WHATEVER"!  Did she actually believe that?  Whatever?  Could she have imagined what would take place in a few moments?  Her amazing friend spoke of life after this life but, more than that, that he was the source of eternal life.  Quietly she affirmed her faith in him, still not knowing what would follow.

In the darkest moments of our lives, it is easy to dwell on the "If only..." moments.  Her sister, in her grief, seemed to be stuck in that limited imagination.  "If only you had been here my brother would not have died".  But Martha was looking up and looking forward, refusing to allow disappointment to cloud her vision of what still could be.  "But even now" are truly amazing words.  It has always seemed a paradox that the sister who chose to sit at the feet of Jesus listening to his words, is not the woman of faith at this time.  But it is not about what we hear or read that make the difference.  It is about what we believe.

So it was that, after tears had been shed,a call rang out for the dead to rise again, and Lazarus came out from the grave in which he had lain for four days.

For many people in the world today, the darkest moments have come as their loved ones have been lost.  I too, have experienced loss as my beloved Doreen has passed into the presence of the Savior she loved and served.  45 years of marriage brought to an end by the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease.  A few years before it had become apparent that the person with whom I had fallen in love had faded as the disease took its relentless toll.  But I had determined that if the woman I had fallen in love with was no longer available, then I would deliberately learn to love the woman I still lived with.  And so I did, in the good moments and the bad.  And towards the end, the woman I fell in love with some 46 years before returned to me, as if risen from the dead.  Moments of deep affection and words of deep love repeatedly passed one from the other.

And now I have my "Even now..." moment.  For me, the passion to help other people find salvation in Christ, to know him as Saviour and friend, has been rekindled as I think of the thousands passing into eternity without the hope that burns in my heart, leaving behind grieving loved ones without that "Even now" comfort.  As millions of Christians rise to the challenge of being good neighbours to friends in need, I pray that somehow, God will help us to share something of our faith that can look through the darkest days to a better and more glorious future.  People need to hear the good news.  They need Jesus!  There is an amazing opportunity for us to be God's instrument to bring hope to replace despair.  We need wisdom and courage to find and use the appropriate words, but we must never let the opportunity slip.

And in your dark moments, may you so trust in Jesus that you can say with confidence,"Even now..."

Please join us online at 8.00 (BST) this Easter Sunday Morning when Gordon Banks and I will be leading some Easter thoughts and worship.  You need to register in advance.  TO DO THIS PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK NOW.

God bless you.  Stay safe.

Barry
Rev Barry Osborne
CEO,Rural Mission Solutions

A time to laugh and a time to cry

I was surprised to receive only two emails raising questions following my last posting on this blog.  I had taken up the topic of welcome at church and given two examples.  These presented two extremes.  No one took issue with the story of the two old men who completely ignored a visitor.  However, the emails I received both suggested that some might find the welcome I received at a church in Herefordshire somewhat overwhelming and uncomfortable.

I suspect that we will have various attitudes to what kind of welcome we might find appropriate.  This too might vary depending on our mood on arrival at the church door.  The real point that I was seeking to make was that some people seem to have the ability to be good hosts (could that be a gift?) and that these are the people who should be responsible, not just for a moment of welcome, but for the whole aspect of hospitality at church.  A good host would know how effusive to be.  They pick up the signals given out by body language and respond appropriately.

I have a good friend who has an aversion to being hugged as she goes to church.  If she arrives at the same time as others she will slip past and into church while the 'welcomers' are engaged hugging others.  Her other strategy as someone holds out their arms to hug her is to offer her right hand stretched out stiffly for just a hand shake.  People soon take the hint.  In England the practise of greeting people for the first time with a kiss on the cheek (or is it both cheeks?) seems to be increasingly common.  This too is common in many churches but it isn't always appropriate.

There are some of us who still practise initial greetings with a handshake and saying "How do you do?" which is not actually a question to be answered! The correct response is to answer with "How do you do?"  Of course many people of younger years now have the habit of greeting people with "How are you doing?" which is a question and for which the normative response should be "I'm, good thanks" which, of course, does not actually mean that you are good!  I also find it strange to be greeted with the words, "Are you all right?" which seems very common in the East Midlands of England where I live.

Perhaps this variety of forms of greeting also emphasises the importance of using appropriate and possibly trained people to greet folk coming into church.  For some people an overly intimate greeting or welcome might feel actually threatening.  I know this is true of some women who have suffered sexual abuse. Some want to slip in quietly and sit on their own at the back.  To encourage them then to act differently is not being hospitable.

I remember that some research I was doing about growing rural congregations included a story of a Devon Parish Church that was a new building in the heart of the community.  This had replaced an old building on the outskirts of the village that had burned down.  The new building was more 'in the round' and brilliantly lit  from windows high in a dome above the centre.  Light scattered into every corner.  But one woman commented, "Where do I go to cry?"

But it's not just the initial welcome but the whole tone of the meeting that is also significant.  It is unlikely that whoever is leading worship will know precisely what has been going on in the lives of each member of the congregation.  But God does know, so we need to try to cultivate sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and watch out for signals from body language.  A bright an cheery opening might be just what is needed sometimes but not always.  And that leads me onto the topic of humour in church.

Every public speaker knows that people learn well when information is communicated with humour.  But there are times when it is appropriate and times when it is inappropriate.  When I was President of the Congregational Federation I was the guest Minister at a certain church one cold winter day.  I was ushered into a small cold and damp Ministers vestry (or office) to wait on my own until some time later I was gathered and taken to the choir vestry.  On my way I caught a glimpse into the church where the small congregation were scattered and looked very cold.  To my delight the choir vestry was warm and cosy, so I observed wryly that perhaps we should invite the congregation to join us.  This provoked many chuckles and the odd hearty laugh.  Then a censorious voice uttered "Can we remember where we are!"  Immediately the laughter ceased (should we have laughed at this comment?)

Does, I wonder, solemnity equal misery?  Can we be joyfully solemn?  Is there a time to weep and a time to laugh?  Are both appropriate in church?  Of course, the informed answer has to be yes.  This then brings me to the question posed in my previous posting: "Did Jesus have a sense of humour?"  The implied accompanying question is can this be discerned in the gospels?

I think the answer to both questions is "Yes". Often Jesus used hyperbole or exaggerated speech in order to make points.  We can see that in the story of the Good Samaritan and in his conversation with Nicodemus. I can imagine in the former example a slight pause after the words "...a certain Samaritan.." and perhaps a wry smile.  In the latter either Jesus is teasing Nicodemus or being plain sarcastic in his comments.  But many times when we read scripture aloud we make the tone of Jesus' voice stern and challenging.  Try reading is again with a slight touch of wit as Jesus responds to Nicodemus' comments.

Using humour carefully can actually help to make a serious point.  Of course there were times when Jesus would have sounded very serious.  I would include in that his words about the cost of discipleship, which involves self denial and taking up a cross.  But might there have been a smile on the face of Jesus when he talked about turning Galilean fishermen into fishers of men? (Matthew 4:19)  You can decide for yourself, of course, but just try reflecting on how we read scripture aloud publicly and don't turn Jesus into someone who never laughed at a good joke.

I love the story of Nehemiah which isn't only about restoring walls and gates; there was spiritual restoration as well.  The people wept as they realised how far they had strayed from God's ideal.  But they were urged to cease from weeping and told that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).  When the kings of the earth conspire against God we are told he laughs (Psalm 2:4).  Isaiah speaks of God's people giving him joy (Isaiah 68:19).  I love the words of Zephaniah 3:17, quoted here from the AV

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, 

he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, 

he will joy over thee with singing."

Right now your heart might be heavy with sadness.  If that is so then know that God knows and cares.  He also weeps with those who are sad. He also promises that joy will come again.  One day he will wipe away all tears from our eyes and in his presence there will be fullness of joy.

From the diary:

• Several of the weeks of August are less busy with engagements but still plenty to do.  It is a chance to catch up on correspondence.  It is also an opportunity to take time to sense God's presence and guidance, and a time to prepare for the busy time to come.
• After my regular weekly time at HMP Gartree Doreen and I will be travelling to south Wales for the funeral of an uncle who was well in his nineties.  Like my father he would have had an initial influence through the Salvation Army but spent most of his adult life in a Baptist church.  He loved the Lord and through his eighties and into his nineties loved nothing more than speaking about the Lord to others.  I ask you prayers for those in his family who have not yet come to that same wonderful relationship with God through Christ.
• This Sunday, 24th August I will be ministering at Yelvertoft.
• Sunday 31st August I will be taking the Sunday service at HMP Gartree and I value your prayers that I might sense what God wants to say on that occasion.

Thanks to those who ordered copies of the Yelvertoft Pudding Recipe Book.  They will be on their way to you this week.  We still have some left at £5 with all the money raised going to the Air Ambulance Service.

Thank you for your fellowship around God's throne of undeserved generosity. (Hebrews 4:16)

Barry